one.five closes €14M round to fix packaging’s broken R&D engine
Hamburg-based materials startup one.five has secured a €14 million funding round to overhaul how the global packaging industry develops new products, targeting what it calls a persistent 60% failure rate in packaging R&D. The fresh capital will be used to scale its data-driven platform, which combines AI algorithms, lab testing and industrial validation to accelerate the path from sustainable material concept to commercial packaging on supermarket shelves.
The raise underscores growing investor interest in technologies that can help consumer brands and manufacturers move away from fossil-based plastics and comply with tightening environmental regulations, without sacrificing performance or profitability.
A data-first answer to packaging’s 60% R&D failure rate
Packaging is one of the world’s largest and most visible waste streams, yet efforts to replace conventional plastics with sustainable alternatives often stall in the lab or fail during scale-up. According to one.five, as much as 60% of packaging R&D projects never make it to market, typically because performance, cost, regulatory or manufacturability issues only emerge late in the development cycle.
one.five aims to flip that dynamic. The company has built a platform that integrates:
- High-throughput laboratory screening of bio-based and recyclable materials
- Digital modelling using AI algorithms and machine learning to predict performance and compatibility
- Industrial-scale testing with manufacturing partners to validate processing and cost
- Lifecycle and carbon footprint assessment to ensure environmental gains are real and measurable
By combining these elements, the startup says it can identify failure risks far earlier, cut redundant experiments, and focus resources on concepts that are both sustainable and commercially viable. For large consumer goods companies, that promises shorter development cycles, lower R&D spend, and a higher probability that new packaging will meet regulatory, technical and branding requirements.
From concept to shelf: bridging lab and factory
Industrial validation as a core differentiator
A recurring problem in sustainable packaging is the gap between the lab bench and the production line. Materials that perform well in small-scale tests often behave unpredictably on high-speed packaging machines or fail to meet shelf-life and barrier requirements.
one.five positions itself not just as a materials discovery company but as a full-stack development partner. It works directly with converters, packaging manufacturers and brand owners to co-design solutions that can be slotted into existing production lines with minimal retooling.
The company’s platform evaluates factors such as:
- Processing temperatures and mechanical properties on industrial equipment
- Compatibility with printing, sealing and forming technologies
- Barrier performance against oxygen, moisture and light
- Recyclability within current circular economy infrastructures
By stress-testing materials in real-world conditions, one.five aims to ensure that only viable packaging concepts progress to large-scale investment, directly addressing the industry’s historically high attrition rate.
AI and data as the new R&D backbone
Central to the Hamburg startup’s pitch is its use of structured data and predictive models. Rather than treating each R&D project as a one-off, one.five aggregates performance data from thousands of tests into a proprietary database.
This database powers AI algorithms that can, for example:
- Predict how a new bio-based polymer will behave in a specific packaging format
- Estimate the trade-offs between barrier performance, cost and recyclability
- Recommend optimal blends or coatings to meet a client’s functional brief
The result is a more systematic, less trial-and-error-driven approach to packaging innovation, one that mirrors how advanced materials science and computational chemistry are reshaping other industrial sectors.
Riding regulatory and consumer pressure for sustainable packaging
The timing of the €14 million raise is significant. Across Europe and beyond, regulators are tightening rules on single-use plastics, extended producer responsibility and recycled content. The EU’s evolving packaging and packaging waste regulations are pushing brands to redesign portfolios at speed, while retailers and consumers are increasingly vocal about excessive or non-recyclable packaging.
For global consumer goods companies, this creates a complex puzzle: switch to more sustainable formats while maintaining product safety, shelf life, brand visibility and cost competitiveness. Many have discovered that simply swapping one material for another is rarely enough.
one.five positions its platform as a way to navigate this complexity. By integrating regulatory constraints, recyclability guidelines and retailer requirements into the design phase, the company aims to help clients avoid costly late-stage redesigns or product withdrawals.
How the €14M will be used
While the company has not disclosed every detail of the round, the new capital is expected to fund several strategic priorities:
- Scaling laboratory capacity in Hamburg and potentially other European hubs
- Expanding the data and AI engineering team to refine predictive models
- Deepening collaborations with major consumer brands and packaging converters
- Developing new material families, including bio-based films, coatings and fibre-based solutions
- Enhancing lifecycle assessment tools to give clients clearer ESG metrics
The investment signals confidence that a platform approach to packaging R&D can become a key enabling technology for the broader transition to sustainable materials.
Implications for the global packaging and climate tech ecosystem
The success of one.five could have ripple effects across the packaging and climate tech ecosystems. If the company can materially reduce the 60% R&D failure rate it cites, large brands may be more willing to take risks on novel materials, accelerating the turnover of legacy plastic formats.
For investors, the Hamburg startup sits at the intersection of several high-conviction themes: decarbonisation, circular economy, AI-driven R&D and industrial innovation. For policymakers, it offers a practical demonstration that stricter packaging rules can be matched with technological solutions, rather than simply adding compliance burdens.
As sustainable packaging moves from niche pilots to mainstream adoption, platforms like that of one.five may become essential infrastructure, quietly powering the next generation of materials that consumers encounter every day on store shelves worldwide.